[SixClub] CW SK

[mikea]

On Tue, Dec 19, 2006 at 02:11:51PM -0600, Howard Bingham wrote:
> In Houston, Tx. ( EL29 ) there are at least 3 ham clubs with 
> licensing classes that include CW classes on a regular basis.
> 
> While it may no longer be a requirement, it will be interesting to 
> see how many of these classes are given after the first of 2007..
> 
> Personally, I am of the persuasion that CW should be a prerequisite 
> for Extra, having said that, I doubt I could pass even 5 wpm due to a 
> medical issue, meanwhile I have ordered Gordon West's General course 
> book & CD's & hope that by the time of the anniversary of my Tech 
> license in March, to have passed a no code General..
> 
> Anyone have the ARRL General Class _video_...?  I'll be willing to 
> buy any used copies (Given ARRL has dropped it from their current 
> lineup of tutorials..).
> 
> Howard Bingham
> KE5APJ   -   EL29gq

It's good to know that there are that many clubs teaching Morse in the
Houston area, Howard; thanks for that. My niece is absolutely stricken
with the space bug -- and ought to be; she grew up on my stories of
what it was like to work at the Manned Spacecraft Center during the
Gemini Project. She has yet to be told that, given a license and the
right gear, she herself could stand in her back yard in Humble and
talk live, one-on-one with an astronaut. That'll happen tonight.

I suspect the Morse classes will continue, even though they're not a 
licensing requirement. I know I'll continue teaching mine, and I've 
been considering an upgrade class for folks who can do 5 wpm, to get 
them up over 13. 

W5DNA and I run a Novice-and-Technician net every Monday. About half 
the dozen-or-so participants last night told me that they were going 
to try *HARD* to pass the code exam while it still was being given, 
just so they wouldn't be lumped in with the no-code-General-and-Extra
folks post-change. 

I'm firmly on both sides of this, as I've written before. I'm a CW 
user and teacher, but understand altogether too well how it happens 
that some folks just _can't_ do Morse well enough to pass the exam. 

73 to you and all, de

-- 
Mike Andrews, W5EGO
mikea at mikea.ath.cx
Tired old sysadmin